Horizons Edge is thrilled to welcome Roughstock Jiu Jitsu and Skyline Gymnastics as partners. As a premier sports complex, we are continually working to expand our relationships and opportunities for our community. Jeff Frank, the general manager says Horizons Edge is “excited about these new partnerships and the diverse range of sports we are offering under one roof.”
A Gymnastics Story
Casey Mork sat back as a supportive father and watched as his daughter participated in recreational cheerleading when she was younger, but he admitted he had concerns.
“I had absolutely no fun with that,” Mork said with a laugh. “I despised going to that.”
So, naturally, when the season ended, he was excited to be able to move on.
When his wife approached him and said they were trying gymnastics, he sighed.
“Oh, no,” Mork said. “We’re going to another. I grouped them in that category.”
Quickly, though, Mork said he realized just how special of a sport gymnastics is.
“That first competition, I was so nervous,” Mork said. “It was just so much fun. Once the meet started and I saw the girls out there competing, I was officially hooked on it.”
Skyline Gymnastics holds classes for athletes ranging from 18 months to 18 years old.
The organization has a class of teachers, including local collegiate coaches and gymnasts, who help students learn the sport while working in small, tight-knit atmospheres.
“We strive to provide movement and gymnastics experiences that range from guiding, molding, and shaping each individual at the most basic levels to advanced gymnastics training,” the organization’s website says. “Our professional staff strives to promote development to each and every gymnast. Everyone has their own way of learning.”
Held on the campus of Horizons Edge, the organization has continued to grow.
“I definitely think it is [growing] in our area, especially,” Mork said. “Skyline has always had a waitlist. Every class they’ve had, it fills up quick. Since we’ve partnered with them, we’ve added approximately 600 kids to classes, and we still have people on the waitlist.”
Mork and his wife bought Skyline last year and Horizons Edge quickly became its home.
Although the organization has always been increasing in popularity, the physical space needed to accommodate those folks interested wasn’t around until they found Horizons.
“It’s been amazing,” Mork said. “We’ve hosted a summer camp already and we have another coming up. Before, we had to do those at JMU, and you’d have to walk the full campus every day. At Horizons, it’s amazing because you do all that in one area.”
Mork can’t help but laugh when he thinks back to when he first got into gymnastics.
It was a sport he wasn’t too familiar with but that he got thrown into with his daughter.
Now, it’s one he hopes to continue to help grow and promote in the local community.
“It definitely helps with teamwork, promotes a team spirit,” Mork said. “It did amazing things for both my daughters. It helps with independence as well as teamwork. It truly has helped them grow up as kids and I’ve seen them come into their own through the sport.”
A Passion for Jiu Jitsu’s
The passion Patrick Imgram and Austin Clements have for the sport is evident.
It’s clear when the duo talks about jiu jitsu, when they’re working with athletes of all ages to help teach and grow the sport and when they compete themselves across the country.
At Roughstock Jiu Jitsu Academy, held on the campus of Horizons Edge, the goal is not only to grow the sport and build competition, but also to create lifelong memories.
“We want it to keep growing and get the word out,” Imgram said. “In a perfect world, everyone would do it. It’s made my life so much better. We opened our doors in February, and I feel like the feedback has been very positive. The community is definitely interested.”
Since coming to Horizons Edge, the academy has seen its numbers slowly increasing.
Although competitive jiu jitsu has been growing, Imgram and Clements wanted the opportunity to work with athletes of all ages and the campus at Horizons was a good fit.
“It’s a dream come true,” Imgram said. “They’ve been so accommodating. We work so well with them. The facility is amazing. We’ve hosted a big tournament and it’s been awesome. It’s an amazing facility and we’ve been very fortunate to be able to work with them.”
The facility hosts classes for kids of all ages and even sent athletes to compete recently.
But whether just wanting to get a workout in, staying in shape for a different sport or aiming to compete regularly against other athletes, the academy offers a little bit of everything.
“It’s growing, for sure,” Imgram said. “We wanted to make a place in the Valley that offered jiu jitsu at all levels. … We have competitors, but we also have kids who are just doing it to get a workout, be active. We just wanted to bring it to the Valley for anyone interested.”
When Imgram spoke about the impact jiu jitsu has had on his life, he was beaming.
The sport has provided a sense of joy and provided a purpose no other sport can, he said.
And now, he just hopes to share that passion with more folks around the Shenandoah Valley.
“Personally, the best part for me has been the community, the people I’ve met, the friends we’ve made,” Imgram said. “It’s just such a good community with such good people.”
